


Part Of Me

by incorrectmeangirls



Category: Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, Fluff, No Angst, actually so is elphaba, glinda is a useless gay, they're all useless gays, this is literally only fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-11-27 05:16:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18190247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incorrectmeangirls/pseuds/incorrectmeangirls
Summary: For Glinda, hating her job was easy. That is, until one customer showed up and changed everything.





	1. Chapter 1

Glinda sighed tiredly as she slowly wiped the dirty counter someone had spilt coffee on. She glanced at the clock.

_11.35 pm._

Another twenty-five minutes until she could close the shop and finally go home.

Really, why did she have to be here? After all, no one was going to come in near midnight.

She had never wanted this job anyway. Unfortunately, she had had no other choice after having been forced into independency by her parents, who had suddenly decided having a gay daughter was unacceptable. Admittedly, it had stung at first, especially after the loss of all of her friends, who had all been equally disgusted by her, but she had accepted there was no point in wallowing eternally over it. She _needed_ to get over it, move on... somehow.

Who needed homophobic assholes that didn’t accept her anyway? It was probably better this way.

Or at least that’s what she always told herself in moments of doubt.

 _You deserve better,_ ran through her head like a mantra.

Glinda shook her head, clearing her mind of the troublesome thoughts. She couldn’t be sad about this. She wouldn’t. This was what her family and friends – _old friends_ , she reminded herself with a wince– wanted, wasn’t it?

No. Glinda wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of winning, yet she couldn’t control the moments in which her thoughts always seemed to stray to darker places.

With a glance at the counter, she noticed she had been wiping the same spot for a few minutes, having been lost in thought.

 _Oz, this is pointless_ , she thought and let out a long sigh. She could easily think of a long list of activities she could be doing that were far more productive than just standing here, waiting for no one to come in.

Suddenly the door slammed open, tearing Glinda out of her thoughts. She groaned internally, how did this happen _every time_? Really, she should have seen this coming; somehow someone _always_ came in right before her shift ended.

It was always the same. Except this time –she realised as her eyes fell on the girl that had just walked in— _something_ was different.

Her jaw fell open. With shiny black hair, long legs and a skinny frame, this girl was a sight to behold. But by far the most peculiar thing about her was her _green skin_.

Glinda gapped at her. _Green_ skin? A million thoughts whirled through her head; how was this possible? Should she be acting differently? Was she being rude? Oz, Glinda couldn’t even imagine how many rude comments this girl must get on a daily basis.

And lastly, why did she think this girl looked _cute_?

Glinda felt like she could stare at her forever. Drawing her would certainly be interesting. Her mind became lost in thoughts of various colour combinations and sketches, already planning out a drawing in her head.

A noise interrupted her thoughts, an exasperated sigh from the green girl. „I’d really appreciate it if I could just order and leave, I’ve had a long night.“

Glinda opened her mouth, determined to come up with a witty response, but the only thing that left her mouth was a rather unintelligent sounding „uhh..“

The girl rolled her eyes, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground.

„I— Y—You’re _green_!“ Glinda’s eyes widened, she had not meant to say that... out loud.

The green girl glanced at her exposed skin and let out a fake gasp, clutching a hand to her chest.  „Oh, _am_ I?“

Glinda shuffled uncomfortably and stared at the ground. „Well, it’s not like you see a lot of _green_ people around here...“ she mumbled.

For a second Glinda saw anger flash in the girl’s eyes but the moment was so fleeting she wasn’t sure if she had imagined it.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. „Oz, just let me order and I’ll be gone.“

„I—Yeah! Of course!“  Glinda said with a weak smile.

The girl raised her eyebrow, eyeing her suspiciously. Clearly, Glinda had already failed and accidentally offended the girl. Oz, this had certainly not been her intention. Sometimes she just couldn’t control the words that came out of her mouth.

„Anyway,“ the girl sighed, „I’ll just have one black coffee and then I’ll be gone. Does that sound good?“

„Y—Yes! That’s fine! I’ll just—“ Glinda stumbled over to the machine, starting her order with shaky hands. Why was she so nervous? She could sense the girl’s eyes on her.

She could feel the tension in the air as she racked her brain for some way to relieve the lasting awkwardness.

 „Uh, to go, right?“ Glinda asked, looking over her shoulder to glance at the girl, who gave a nod in return. Before turning around again, she noticed the girl shuffle uncomfortably.

„Well, here you go!“ She thrust the drink into the girl’s hands, admittedly a little too forceful. She flashed her another unconvincing smile. The green girl narrowed her eyes at her and handed over a few coins.

„Riiight. Been nice talking to you, but I should leave, got big plans,“ she said and turned around, coffee in hand. However, before leaving she turned around and glanced at Glinda warily, lingering in the doorway before dashing out when she caught Glinda looking at her.

Glinda stared after her. What had just happened?

After a few seconds she shook her head, trying to get rid of the confusing thoughts. Of all the things she had expected to happen tonight, a strange encounter with a green girl of all things had certainly not been on her mind.

In a bit of a trance, she finished up closing the shop and began her walk home. Her mind seemed to have gone on autopilot as she replayed the encounter in her head.

Glinda scoffed at herself, why were her thoughts stuck on that girl? _You’re being weird, she’s probably already forgotten all about you,_ she reminded herself.

Dazed, she entered her apartment, immediately collapsing on her bed as soon as she reached her bedroom. She let out a groan, the events of the entire day slowly vanishing from her mind as tiredness seeped into her bones.

Careful not to wake her roommate, who had probably gone to sleep at a reasonable time, she got ready for bed.

Glinda rubbed off her makeup and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She was beautiful, even without makeup. But that had never been a surprise to her, having been told nothing but that her entire life.

Be beautiful, find a good husband, get married, have kids.

That had always been her parents‘ plan for her, hadn’t it?

 _Well, clearly that didn’t work out,_ she thought, laughing quietly at herself.

Glinda was still beautiful –nothing had changed in that regard– but over the last years she had learned that she deserved better than what her parents had planned out for her.

So now, instead of thinking about potential husbands, her thoughts were caught up on green girls. She wondered what her parents would think of her.

Her parents‘ voices rung in her head: _Oh, did you notice how rude she was being? Oz, she has_ green _skin and still expects no comments about it! Quite ridiculous, really._

It stung her to think of how shallow she used to be. So concerned with nothing but beauty. And the worst part was probably how little had actually changed. She thought back to what she had said to the girl.

_You’re green!_

Glinda sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She hadn’t exactly been polite, had she? She had been so shaken up by the peculiar skin tone that she hadn’t even been able to hide her judgement and surprise.

She let out a long sigh and wearily carried herself over to her bed. And finally, the exhaustion of the day having caught up with her, she drifted off. Only then did the green girl leave her thoughts, if only momentarily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, this is just a random idea i had and thought why not write it? Special Thanks to sam, carly, maria and brook for helping me A Lot with this and thanks to everyone in the discord server for Putting Up With Me when i was trying to think of a title. anyway, i hope y'all like the first chapter! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Glinda woke up to her phone buzzing loudly. She blindly reached for it on her nightstand. Just as she managed to grab it to turn the incessant buzzing off, it stopped. The harsh light of the phone screen blinded her, making her squint. The time read 6:00 am.

Glinda groaned internally. Who was bothering her at this time? She checked her notifications.

_4 new texts and one missed call._

_hey glinda_

_i’m kinda busy today so can you take my shift from 6:30 to 8:30_

_i’d really appreciate it_

_please_

Glinda resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Really, how dense could a person be? She fought the urge to suppress a yawn. Oz, she had barely slept and was already awake again. Wearily, she stared at the messages as she weighed her options. She could just not reply and say she hadn’t seen the messages. If she was feeling particularly mean, she could write a quick „no“ and go back to sleep. But extra shifts were always helpful. After all, she was constantly in need of money and every bit helped.

So, with a sigh, she wrote back: „Yeah, okay. I’ll do it.“ She slowly climbed out from under the covers, a shiver ran through her body as the cold air hit her. Casting one last wistful glance to her bed, she finally got up and dragged herself over to her closet.

She inspected all of her clothes carefully. She debated just wearing her most comfortable clothes, especially since she was so tired, but a part of her still felt uneasy at the idea of going out in public not looking her absolute best. Perhaps that was just an insecurity she’d never get over.

In the end Glinda decided to wear her favourite sweater. It always eased her anxiety and still looked nice enough to not make her worry about her appearance too much. Vague memories of Pfannee and Shenshen mocking her for wearing the sweater crossed her mind briefly before she shook her head. It was pointless to dwell on such thoughts.

After a few minutes Glinda wearily made her way over to the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and thoughts from last night came rushing back, but she shoved them back just as quickly as they had appeared. She was too tired to think about any of this. Carefully, she applied her makeup. Somehow this always seemed to calm her and clear her mind. This was something she was good at and knew perfectly, after all. For once it didn’t feel like she had to try so hard and all of the stress she seemed to carry around at all times was momentarily gone. After she was done, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, satisfied.

Glinda glanced at her phone, checking the time. She figured she still had enough time to get some coffee in the kitchen. She hesitantly walked into the kitchen, careful not to wake her roommate. But as it turned out her caution had been rather pointless.

„Fiyero? Why are you awake?“ Glinda asked her roommate, who was shuffling through a cupboard.

„I woke up a while ago. I need to study,“ he said with a shrug. He turned on the coffee machine and turned to Glinda. „So what about you? You never wake up before 8 am.“

„That’s... not true!“ Glinda protested halfheartedly. Fiyero raised a brow, casting her a doubtful „That weird guy who keeps trying to ask me out asked if I could cover his shift at 6:30,“ she explained.

„Oh, _that_ guy? Oz, I hate him. He just won’t take a hint.“

„Exactly!“ Glinda exclaimed. „You’d think he’d stop asking when I said I don’t like men, but he just asked me _again_.“ She rolled her eyes dramatically.

„You want me to talk to him?“ Fiyero asked. Glinda shook her head, smiling slightly. „No, that’s okay. If all he’s doing is being annoying, I can deal with it.“

Glinda knew how protective Fiyero could be of her sometimes. He had been the only one to stick with her during quite a low point in her life, having just been abandoned by everyone she knew, so from that moment on he had felt the need to protect her. Glinda had never really been bothered by his protectiveness and by now she had grown quite fond of it.

„But you’ll tell me if he does anything else?“

„ _Yes_ , I will. Don’t worry about me, it’ll be fine,“ she said, nudging him affectionately.

Fiyero raised his hands defensively. „Hey, I’m just making sure! You know how when we first met you wouldn’t tell me _anything_? I’m just looking out for you.“ Glinda shuffled guiltily. She remembered how scared and hurt she had been when everyone except for Fiyero had abandoned her. Fiyero had been the only one to stick with her during that time but unfortunately the shock and betrayal she had felt had made her build up walls and hide herself from everyone, even Fiyero. But after a while she had slowly learned to let him in again and trust him enough to share her troubles. Unfortunately, she tended to slip into old habits and occasionally still relied on Fiyero’s ability to notice when she was closing in on herself.

Glinda gave him one grateful smile before pulling out her phone. Her eyes widened as she saw the time. _6:18 am_. „Oh no,“ she gasped, „I need to get going!“ She ran towards the door, grabbing her purse on the way out. She hastily waved goodbye to Fiyero before dashing out and into the street. The wind and cold hit her, making her shiver. She needed to get back into the warmth quickly. Her mind was already calculating the fastest possible route to get to the coffee shop. She could’ve taken the bus, but it was too late for that now; the next one wouldn’t come until 6:30. So Glinda started hurrying towards the coffee shop at a quick pace.

Fortunately, she made it just in time at 6:33. Well, _nearly_ just in time. Struggling to catch her breath, she unlocked the doors and stepped in. She turned on the lights, watching her surroundings slowly light up around her. And with a long sigh, she started preparing for her shift.

* * *

 „Uh, here’s your order,“ Glinda said, struggling to supress a yawn. The man took his coffee with a polite nod and turned around. Glinda looked towards the back of the shop, feeling herself growing more and more tired upon seeing the growing queue. She could feel her concentration slipping with every minute. Luckily, she just needed to get through fifteen more minutes and then she could go home, if only for a few hours before her class began.

„Hello? I’d like to order?“ came an impatient voice near her. Her eyes snapped to the front of the line and to the man watching her with mild annoyance in his eyes. Glinda felt her face heat up, having realised she had accidentally zoned out and ignored the man for a little too long. She stared at him for a second longer, already feeling herself losing focus, before she shook her head and smiled weakly at him.

„Right, sorry! What would you like?“ She blinked a few times, struggling to keep her mind on the man. He began to talk, already giving complex instructions for an overly confusing order. By the time he had stopped talking, Glinda realised she hadn’t understood a single thing he had said. She had already bothered him, she couldn’t ask him to repeat it. Her scattered mind desperately tried to come up with an intelligent solution but before she could form a reply the man spoke up again: „Can you maybe try _listening_ to me?“ He hissed.

„Yes, I’m so sorry, I’m just really ti—“ Glinda struggled to explain, panic creeping into her voice. But before she could continue, the man went on, glaring at her.

„Should you really be working here? You’re not focused at _all_. I told you my order twice and you still haven’t done anything. Do you realise I need to be somewhere? Some of us have a busy life, you know!“ The man continued ranting, his voice growing louder with every second. Glinda looked down to the ground and shuffled as she let the words wash over her. She looked up hesitantly and opened her mouth to say something in her defence but the man continued talking over her. She felt tears pooling in her eyes, she had always hated it when people got mad at her. Just when she felt like she couldn’t take it anymore, someone else stepped out of the line.

„Hey! Don’t you see how upset she is?“ Glinda recognised that voice immediately. The green girl stalked towards the front of the line and turned to the man, anger blazing in her eyes. „So she messed up _once_ and didn’t hear your overly complicated order, it’s not a big deal. You should be grateful there’s someone here so early serving you coffee. It wouldn’t hurt you to be nicer.“ The man glared at her and began to protest, but the girl interrupted him. „If you’re so worried about getting your coffee, _make your own_. Why are you even wasting time getting mad at her if you’re in a hurry? Next time think about being a little more patient and _nicer_.“ She took a step back, a satisfied smirk on her face. „ _Now_ I’m done.“

The man glared at her before turning around and stomping off, grumbling something about how „this mess wasn’t worth some coffee.“ As Glinda slowly recovered from what had just happened, she suddenly realised how much emptier the shop was. The line was gone and only a handful of peole were still sitting at tables. After a few seconds, people went back to their conversations. It was like nothing had happened. Then her gaze fell on the green girl in front of her. She had seemed so sure a few seconds ago but now she was looking nervously at the ground. Glinda wiped her eyes, only now having realised she had cried a little from the stress.

The green girl spoke up at the same time Glinda tried to say something and they both laughed nervously, feeling the tension melt away. „Uh, thank you for that. I didn’t know how much longer I could stand him shouting at me,“ Glinda said and flashed her a nervous smile. Hesitantly, the girl approached the counter.

„Oh, it’s not a big deal. I just didn’t like seeing him shouting at you, you didn’t deserve that.“ She returned the smile carefully before continuing: „I hate to cut this short, but I have a class I need to get to.“

„Yeah, definitely, sure! Education is important, right? I have a class too later and I... I should stop talking,“ Glinda trailed off, her face heating up.

The girl snorted and grinned at her. „Glad you’re feeling better. And I’d just like a black coffee, like last night.“ With a sudden rush of guilt, Glinda remembered how rude she had been last night. She hadn’t meant to act so judgemental, but sometimes she couldn‘t help herself.

„By the way,“ she began, „I’m really sorry about how I acted last night. About your, you know.“ She gestured awkwardly to her skin. The girl suddenly looked unsure.

„Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first person to act like that.“ She paused for a second before continuing in a quieter tone. „You’re certainly the first to apologise for it, though.“ Glinda gave her a sympathetic look. As she finished up the coffee, an idea came to her. She glanced at the girl, who was luckily not focusing on her right now, and started scribbling a message on the coffee cup: _Thanks for the help today, I hope I see you again._ She added the final touch with a small heart next to the words before giving it to the girl. Their fingers brushed momentarily and Glinda felt a strange excitement rush through her body.

The girl gave her one last shy smile and a quick, „bye“ before rushing out of the door. Glinda stared after her, a small smile unconsciously creeping on her face.

Something about her seemed to fascinate Glinda. Why had she stood up for Glinda after she had been so rude to her? Why did she _care_ anyway? She sincerely hoped the girl would be back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, i just want to warn everyone that there’s Mild Homophobia in this chapter! it’s just a small part but i feel like including a warning would be better

Glinda was walking across campus, mind still on the conversation she’d had with the green girl earlier.

 _The green girl_ , she thought. She really ought to learn her name eventually, it felt strange to only refer to her as that. She was on her way home, having just come from her class. Her plan was to work on a project she had been assigned before finally relaxing a little. That had been her goal for the morning but work had gotten in the way.

Still, she didn’t regret taking that shift. After all, she was always in need of money and her interaction with the green girl had been a pleasant surprise. Obviously, getting shouted at by a customer was never nice but the events that had followed had made up for that uncomfortable situation. Glinda had had the chance to apologise to the girl and her interest in her had only grown. Perhaps she even had something of a shine to her, but she had always been unsure about those kinds of matters. Maybe Fiyero could help her with this when she got home. Glina groaned internally, already imagining the jokes she’d have to endure from him.

She was lost in thoughts again when something caught her eye, a flash of green. She sighed; somehow everything green seemed to catch her attention now, although it was always just a tree or grass. Oz, she really _did_ have a crush on the girl, didn’t she? Just as she returned her attention back to the path in front of her, a familiar voice made her turn around.

„Do you really not have anything better to do than bother me?“ The green girl asked, annoyance in her voice. Glinda looked over to her and spotted the cause of the girl’s annoyance. Walking next to her and throwing insults at her were Glinda’s old friends, Pfannee and Shenshen. She immediately felt a sickness settle in her stomach and she had the sudden urge to run home as fast as possible. Seeing them always seemed to throw Glinda back and spark an immense fear and hurt in her.

„We’re not doing anything,“ Pfannee said with a sickeningly sweet voice Glinda remembered all too well. „We’re just heading in the same direction you are.“ Both Pfannee and Shenshen were wearing an ugly grin. The girl gave no reply and merely scoffed and quickened her pace, seemingly determined to get rid of the girls taunting her.

„What’s wrong, vegetable? Nothing to say?“ Shenshen continued. Glinda knew they were trying to get a rise out of her. She had experienced it often enough when she had been friends with them.

The girl briefly looked over her shoulder and glared at Pfannee and Shenshen but didn’t stop to give them a response. „And Oz, what are you _wearing_ today? Did you think that would make up for your skin?“ Both girls let out hollow laughs, clearly satisfied with their insults. Glinda was fixed to the spot. She knew she should leave, watching this would only hurt her, but at the same time she also knew she should step in, support the girl. She had done the same for Glinda, hadn’t she?

So with heavy steps, Glinda began her way over there. This would be the first time she’d talk to Pfannee and Shenshen since their falling out and it left Glinda feeling incredibly anxious and sick to her stomach. „Look at her, wearing a scarf to cover her skin up. You still look disgusting.“ Pfannee hissed.

„H—Hey, leave her alone!“ Glinda shouted. She had tried to sound intimidating, but her voice just came out weak and insecure. Three heads swivelled around to face her. The green girl’s face lit up in surprise and... perhaps happiness? _No, that’s just wishful thinking_ , Glinda told herself. Pfannee and Shenshen’s faces, on the other hand, held nothing but shock and disgust. Glinda took a deep breath and took the last few steps until she was face to face with the girls.

„ _Glinda_?“ Shenshen asked. „What are _you_ doing here?“

Pfannee cast her a hateful look. „This is none of your business, go away.“

„Leave her alone,“ Glinda repeated, with a little more strength. „She’s done nothing wrong, so stop being so mean.“

„Why are you defending her? I didn’t know the green bean had actual friends except for that weird Munchkin boy,“ Pfannee said.

For a moment Glinda was at a loss for words; technically she and the girl weren’t friends. She didn’t even know her name. But she quickly recovered and said: „I just don’t think it’s very nice of you to insult her like that. It looks like she just wants to be left alone.“

Pfannee scoffed and rolled her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest. „Of course _you_ would stick up for her.“

Glinda had a sinking feeling at those words. She knew Pfannee was thinking of what Glinda had revealed during their last encounter. „I—What does that mean? I’m just trying to help.“ Her voice had returned to its shaky state, already fearing Pfannee’s next words.

Pfannee seemed to sense her fear and a small smirk appeared on her face. „You _know_ what I mean. You know why we ditched you. It’s because you’re weird and disgusting and a dy—“

„Shut up, Pfannee!“ Glinda shouted, her fists clenched and her eyes screwed shut. For the second time that day she felt tears prick in the corners of her eyes. When she looked up again, Pfannee and Shenshen were gone but she could still hear them laughing farther away. Nervously, she glanced at the green girl, relieved she hadn’t left as well.

„Are—Are you okay?“ The girl asked, hesitantly stepping towards her.

Glinda gapped at her. „Am _I_ okay? Shouldn’t I be asking you that?“

„ _I‘m_ not the one crying,“ she pointed out, which only succeeded in making Glinda blush in embarrassment. She shook her head, wiping away her tears nervously.

„I didn’t mean to be such a mess, I was just trying to stand up for you, because you did the same for me, right?“ Glinda said, laughing weakly. „And then Pfannee said that stuff about me being... uh, well, it doesn’t really matter. Just brought up some bad memories, I guess,“ she finished, her voice having grown quieter with each word.

The girl looked at her, sudden curiousity in her face. For a moment she just stared at Glinda, possibly debating what she should say, before saying: „So you know Pfannee and Shenshen? I’ve never seen you with them.“

Glinda felt a small stab of pain at that but she forced a smile. „Uh, yeah. I did know them but... we kind of had a falling out sometime ago. But I’m better off without them I think. It all worked out, right?“

They had been slowly inching closer to each other until only one foot was seperating them. Glinda suddenly realised how much closer they were and felt her heart speed up. She had a sudden urge to reach out and hold her hand. „You’re definitely way nicer than them,“ she said with a small smile, a dark green blush painting her cheeks. She looked cute with the blush. Really cute.

„I—Thanks!“ Glinda said, her voice embarrassingly high. „By the way,“ she began, „I’ve been meaning to ask you since we’ve been running into each other a lot lately and I was wondering what your name was since I always just call you ‚the green girl‘ whenever I think about you and knowing your name would probably be a bit nicer.“ Her eyes widened, realising what she had just said. „ _Not_ not that I think about you a lot, I don’t know why I said that—It’s late isnt it?“ Glinda said with a nervous laugh, feeling heat rush to her face and she had the sudden urge to run home and just forget all about the last embarrassing moments.

The girl stared at her, taken aback by the what Glinda had just said. Her face had turned an even darker shade of green. „Uh,“ she cleared her throat nervously, „it’s Elphaba. And yours is Glinda? That’s what it says on your apron at work.“

Glinda nodded quickly, oddly touched by the fact that the girl— _Elphaba_ , she corrected hastily, had cared enough to learn her name. „Right! And Elphaba, that’s such a nice na—“

„I’m really sorry, but I was actually on my way to class when Pfannee and Shenshen... interrupted me and I’d hate to be late. The professor already hates me, so I should probably hurry. But I guess I’ll see you at the coffee shop?“ Elphaba wore a guilty expression, evidently upset at having to leave. She was already rushing off when she briefly turned around and called: „And again, thanks for helping me!“

Glinda stared after the girl in surprise. _Well... that was quick_ , she thought. But then Elphaba’s words came to her: _I’ll see you at the coffee shop?_ She smiled slighlty. Perhaps seeing her would make Glinda’s job a little more enjoyable.

After a few seconds, she remembered what she had been originally doing and continued walking home, albeit a little dazed. As it turned out, confronting Pfannee and Shenshen had been worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

„Elphie, it’s _late_. We’ve been studying all night, I want to go home and sleep and not get coffee. Why do you always go here anyway? We could get way better coffee at the place across the stre—“

„Shh Boq,  don’t be so loud,“ Elphaba said. „Besides, we’ll go home in a second.“

„Is this just because you like that girl that works here? Just ask her out or something and then we won’t have to go here in the middle of the night again,“ Boq said, nudging her a little.

At those words Glinda’s head snapped up, her eyes widening as she stared at the two people entering the shop. Had they been talking about her? _Why didn’t I pay attention to what they were saying?_ Glinda scolded herself, panic clouding her mind.

„Boq!“ Elphaba exclaimed, maybe a little too loud. Suddenly she looked up and her eyes met Glinda’s. „ _Not so loud_ ,“ she hissed.

Glinda smiled at Elphaba and she felt her face heat up.

Boq rolled his eyes, smiling affectionately at Elphaba. „Just... get your coffee and we can go home.“

Elphaba scoffed and shot him an annoyed look, but Glinda could tell it was fake. Her smile widened as Elphaba approached her, who shyly returned it. „Uh, sorry about that,“ Elphaba said. „He gets a little cranky when he’s tired.“

Glinda snorted and gave her a look that might have been a little too affectionate. „Well,“ Glinda began, „not that I don’t appreciate you showing up here in the middle of the night, but why exactly are you getting coffee in the middle of the night _again_?“

„Maybe I just like talking to you?“ Elphaba asked, but it came out more as a question than a statement. „And studying at night just works best for me, I guess.“ She shrugged halfheartedly.

Glinda’s eyes widened and heat rushed to her face. Elphaba liked talking to her? She got coffee at midnight just to see her? No, she was probably just kidding. „Oz, I couldn’t imagine studying at night. I really only function during the day.“ She gave her a lopsided grin. Then a thought came to her. „Oh, by the way, I hope my frie— uh, I mean Pfannee and Shenshen haven’t been bothering you?“

A small frown appeared on Elphaba’s face. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, seemingly hesitant to say anything. „Well, uh, I really doubt they’ll stop entirely anytime soon but I’m used to it, you know? And they didn’t bother me for a good day or two after what you said, so that’s a win!“

Glinda stared at her, concern etched on her face. „I’m sorry, you don’t deserve that. They’re just _so_ rude! I can’t believe I ever used to consider them my best friends.“ She shook her head and sighed, remembering how rude she used to be. Not all too long ago she probably would’ve treated Elphaba the same.

Elphaba gave her a curious look and opened her mouth to give a reply, but a voice interrupted her. „Elphie, it’s been like five minutes and you haven’t even ordered yet. I really don’t mind if you keep talking but I’m very, very tired so I’ll see you home.“

She turned to Boq, a guilty expression on her face. „I’m sorry for dragging you here,“ she mumbled.

„Pfft, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me,“ Boq said. „But be home soon. You really need more sleep.“

Elphaba smiled slightly and approached him, nudging him slightly. „You worry too much about me, you know.“

„That’s because you always give me a reason to worry.“

Glinda stared at them, slightly uncomfortable. She felt like she was eavesdropping on a very personal moment. Should she be watching this? She shifted uncomfortably. In these moments she really wouldn’t mind more customers coming in.

But after a few seconds she heard a soft, „see you later, Elphie,“ and watched Boq leave. Elphaba stayed rooted to the spot for a few seconds before turning back to Glinda.

„So ‚Elphie‘, huh?“ Glinda asked, grinning at her.

Elphaba groaned and rolled her eyes, trying to conceal the blush on her face. „That’s just Boq’s nickname for me.“

„It’s cute. Softens you a bit.“ Elphaba snorted and shook her head softly.

For a moment they just stared at each other, transfixed. Glinda glanced at the clock; her shift was almost over. Soon she and Elphaba would have to part again, both of them would go home. But she didn’t want to say goodbye yet. Suddenly, an idea came to her. „So, uh...“ she began nervously, for some reason fearing rejection. „My shift is almost over and I know it’s late but maybe we could just go somewhere and hang out?“ Before Elphaba could give a reply, Glinda hastily continued: „But if you’d rather not, that’s cool too! Don’t worry about it!“ She laughed, trying to conceal her anxiety.

Elphaba stared at her in surprise and Glinda looked down in embarrassment, already expecting her to say no.  But to her surprise when she looked back up,  Elphaba was smiling. „I’d really like that,“ she said, her voice was uncharacteristically soft. Glinda let out a shaky breath and smiled nervously.

„Great! I know a really nice place we can go to!“

* * *

 „Elphie, trust me, this is one of my favourite places, you’ll love it!“

Glinda was holding Elphaba’s hand tightly, tugging her along. Elphaba groaned dramatically. „Oz, another person using that nickname.“ Glinda giggled and looked over her shoulder, hushing her.

„Okay, now close your eyes,“ Glinda whispered, only now noticing how close she was standing to Elphaba, who reluctantly closed her eyes. Slowly, they came to a stop. Glinda’s face split into a wide grin, rocking on her heels in excitement. „Now open your eyes! Open them!“

Elphaba laughed. „You’re so excited.“ After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. Elphaba’s eyes widened in surprise. She had led them to one of her favourite places, a small park near the coffee shop. Glinda stared at the landscape spread out before them, an expansive field showcasing a glistening lake, fringed with dark trees. They slowly approached the lake, the moonlight reflecting on the water and making it sparkle. Elphaba was looking around in awe, her eyes shining. „Glinda, this... this is amazing.“

Glinda had been here many times and each time the beauty of it captivated her but this time she could only focus on the girl next to her. „Yeah, I—I really love it here. Do you want to sit down?“ Elphaba nodded and they sat down in the surprisingly soft grass.

„So how’d you find this place?“ Elphaba asked, casting a glance at Glinda.

„Well, it was right after I started working at the coffee shop and it was pretty late and...“ She paused nervously. She only really opened up to Fiyero nowadays, and she was wary around other people but something about Elphaba made her feel safe, she could trust her. So she went on. „And I was feeling kinda lonely and I couldn’t stop thinking about my parents and my... my old friends. So I found this place and I guess something about it was comforting.“ She turned her gaze towards the sky, staring at the stars. When she looked back to Elphaba, she was looking at her with a curious and slightly concerned expression.

„What happened with your friends and your parents?“ Elphaba asked and then added softly, „uh, you don’t have to tell me.“

Glinda smiled slightly and inched closer to Elphaba. She could feel the warmth radiating from her. „No, it’s okay. Well, this was a while ago but basically... I came out and people weren’t as accepting as I hoped they’d be.“ Her eyes met Elphaba’s, searching for any kind of reaction to what she had just said.

„Came out as in—“ Elphaba started.

„I’m gay.“

„Oh.“

Glinda felt panic flare in her chest. Would Elphaba accept her? She hadn’t even known her that long and yet she had a feeling a negative reaction would break her. Elphaba looked at the ground, picking at the grass. Just when Glinda thought the stress might suffocate her, she spoke up: „I... I’m gay, too. And I’ve been there. With my family, I mean.“ Glinda stared at her, too shocked to say anything, so Elphaba continued: „It was really bad at first. My dad and my sister are both very religious so it was difficult for them, I guess. But my sister came around after a while, I mean, she loves me, right? Well, it’s a little more complicated with my dad. He... he doesn’t completely _hate_ me but even tolerating it seems difficult sometimes.“ She sighed tiredly. „But I’ve gotten used to that so it’s fine, I suppose.“

Glinda gazed at Elphaba, struggling to find words. „I’m really sorry about that. You don’t deserve any of that.“ She noticed Elphaba was shaking slightly –maybe from the cold, maybe from what they were talking about, Glinda couldn’t really tell. Carefully, she reached out and took Elphaba’s hand again, lacing her fingers with hers. Elphaba stared at their joined hands for a second before looking into her eyes, a small smile appearing on her face.

„I don’t actually know _why_ my parents weren’t more accepting. My best guess is that they wanted me to find a great husband and have kids, continue the family line, but I never wanted that anyway. So when I came out my parents... they just left completely, no more support.“ Glinda stared at the sky. Somehow it was easier to talk if she focused on the stars. „As for my friends, mainly Pfannee and Shenshen, I always thought they were pretty great. I suppose it took them leaving me to see that they were basically the opposite of great. Then again, I wasn’t that great back then either. I would’ve probably treated you just as bad as they did.“ Glinda took a shaky breath, having to relive everything hurt but at the same time it felt good to talk about it and tell Elphaba about it. „I’m trying to get better, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever actually be good.“

She sighed and turned her gaze back to Elphaba. She was looking at her with so much affection Glinda’s heart ached. Her eyes were impossibly dark and they were shimmering, almost as if the moonlight was reflecting in them. „Well... for the record, I think you’re great,“ Elphaba whispered. Glinda felt heat rush to her face, suddenly realising how close they actually were. Her gaze flicked down to Elphaba’s lips momentarily. She looked back up into Elphaba’s eyes but instead of making eye contact like she had expected, Glinda saw the girl focus on her own lips. Her face grew warmer and she was vaguely aware of how Elphaba’s face had turned a dark green. Glinda’s eyelids fluttered closed as she saw Elphaba lean in slightly, half-lidded eyes still focused. She took one shaky breath, an inch from the other girl’s lips.

Suddenly a loud sound erupted from between them and they sprung apart, almost as if something had burned them. Glinda struggled to catch her breath and stared at the water, desperately trying to calm her racing thoughts. „That was... that was my alarm,“ Elphaba explained breathlessly.

Millions of thoughts were swirling through Glinda’s mind but the only thing that seemed to come out was: „Why do you have an alarm set for 2:30 am?!“

Elphaba let out a breathy laugh. „I—I like waking up at night, I guess. Just to see how long I can still sleep, you know? I also have an alarm for 4:30.“

Glinda stared at her, confusion clouding her mind. „That’s ridiculous! Why would you willingly wake up at 4:30? Elphie, it’s not good for you to randomly wake up at night.“

Elphaba rolled her eyes and nudged her a little. „Oz, you sound just like Boq. It’s _fine_.“

„Well, Boq seems pretty smart. Maybe you should listen to him."

„Wanting to wake up at 4:30 is _valid_ ,“ Elphaba retorted.

Glinda scoffed and smiled affectionately. „You’re ridiculous, you know that right? Promise me you’ll delete that alarm.“

„ _Fine_ ,“ Elphaba said. „But only because you asked.“ Glinda grinned, satisfied. She tried to suppress a yawn. „You’re tired, huh?“ Elphaba asked.

„No, I’m fine,“ Glinda insisted, resting her head on Elphaba’s shoulder.

„Come on Glinda. You need to sleep,“ Elphaba said, and as if to prove her point, Glinda yawned in that moment. Elphaba snorted and got up, holding out her hand. Wearily, Glinda took it and pulled herself up, stumbling slightly.

Together they walked back to the coffee shop. Glinda never let go of Elphaba’s hand.

„Well, I guess this is goodbye,“ Elphaba said. „For now.“

Glinda giggled and nodded. „But I can’t let you go home alone.“

„Glinda, I’ll be fine, don’t worry,“ she insisted. „Shouldn’t I be more worried about you? You’re small.“

Glinda gasped, faking shock. „Hey! Don’t underestimate me.“

„I wouldn’t dare.“ Elphaba smiled and her eyes lit up. „Give me your phone.“ Glinda raised an eyebrow but took out her phone, without letting go of Elphaba’s hand. After a minute, Elphaba gave it back. „Here, I added my number. So you can text me when you get home,“ she explained.

Glinda rocked back on her heels and smiled. „Oh, right!“ Her smile vanished as she realised that they would have to part now. „I’m glad we hung out today.“ Before Elphaba could say anything, Glinda stood on her tiptoes and kissed Elphaba’s cheek, lingering for a brief moment. „See you around,“ she whispered and turned around. She looked over her shoulder and winked, noticing how Elphaba seemed rooted to the spot, a dark blush covering her face.

Glinda grinned contentedly as she made her way home. Under normal circumstances she’d be nervous walking home alone at night, constantly looking around warily, but her mind was focused on everything that had happened in the last hours.

Finally, she got home and practically collapsed on her bed. It was incredibly late and all she wanted to do was sleep. But before she did anything else she got out her phone and opened the messages app.

_hey elphie, i just got home!_

_i had a really great night, i guess i’ll see you tomorrow at the coffee shop!_

_goodnight! <3_

She smiled at her phone before turning it off and putting it on her nightstand. Glinda still had to get ready for bed but for now she preferred to just lie here and relive the entire day. In the morning she would have to tell Fiyero about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading, i hope y'all liked the new chapter! :) also thanks to nicki for helping me edit some parts of this!


	5. Chapter 5

Glinda woke up with a start, her mind instantly filling with memories of last night, soft looking lips and beautifully shining eyes slowly moving closer until only inches had seperated them. Glinda groaned, remembering what had interrupted them in the last second. _So_ close. She rubbed her eyes, willing the sleepiness away.

She picked up her phone from the nightstand, a smile appearing on her face as she saw the messages on the screen:

_Glad you got home safe. I had a great night too._

_I’ll see you tomorrow, goodnight._

Glinda quickly wrote a reply:

_morning, elphie! did you sleep well? <3_

_and more importantly, did you delete your alarm?_

The time read 8:49 am. Fortunately, Glinda didn’t have class for the next few hours so she could have a relaxing morning. Stretching wearily, she got up and started her morning routine, memories of last night clouding her mind the entire time. When she was done, she checked her phone again and grinned as she saw a new message:

_Yes, I did. But if I add them again, you can’t get mad._

_elphie! you need sleep!_

Glinda rolled her eyes affectionately and made her way into the kitchen, where she was once again met with the sight of her roommate.

„Fiyero!“ she exclaimed, startling him. He turned around, his eyes wide.

„Glinda, don’t just sneak up on me like that!“ She hurried towards him, a wide grin on her face. He gave her a curious look. „What’s gotten you in such a good mood?“

„Oz, I have so much to tell you, _so_ much happened last night!”

„Oh? Come on, let’s sit down and you can tell me.“

They both walked into the living room, Fiyero with a cup of coffee in his hand, and settled down on the couch. Glinda leaned back into the cushions and got into a comfortable position, bouncing excitedly. „Well whatever happened must’ve been pretty great if you’re this excited,“ Fiyero said with a laugh.

„It _was_ great!“ Glinda said and launched into a full story of last night, explaining everything in great detail. „And we nearly kissed, it was so close! But her alarm interrupted us.“ She pouted a little at the memory. „So we walked home and we exchanged numbers so I could text her when I got home.“ When she finished she wore a dreamy expression, a lazy smile on her face.

Fiyero was looking at her, a teasing smile on his face. „You really like her, huh?“

Glinda felt her face heat up. „Fiyero, she’s so great. And Oz, she’s beautiful. I don’t see why people are so rude to her about her skin, the green is gorgeous.“

At those words Fiyero’s eyes widened. „Wait, she’s _that_ girl? The green girl? I’ve seen her! She’s a bit grumpy sometimes, isn’t she?“

Glinda rolled her eyes. „It’s just because people are always so mean to her...“

Fiyero laughed and nudged her a little. „Hey, I wasn’t attacking her, no need to be so protective. Anyway, what are you going to do?“

„About what?“ Glinda asked, flashing him a confused look.

„About the girl! You have to ask her out! She obviously likes you!“ Fiyero scoffed a little. „Oz Glinda, sometimes you’re a little oblivious.“

Glinda looked down, fidgeting nervously. „But... what if she doesn’t? What if she rejects me? I really like her and I don’t want to make things awkward between us.“ She felt her mind cloud with thoughts of rejection and abandonment and for a second she was transported back to the feeling of hopelessness after being rejected by her friends and family.

Fiyero’s eyes softened a little at that, sensing her discomfort. He reached out and took her hands, stopping the nervous fidgeting. „No, come on, look at me,“ he said. Glinda anxiously raised her head, meeting his eyes warily. „I know how you feel about this kind of stuff but it’ll be okay. She likes you, okay? You guys nearly kissed, that means something.“

„You really think? Because I’m just worrie—“

„Cmon, you know you want to ask her out,“ he interrupted. „It’ll be alright.“

Glinda smiled shakily at him. „Thanks Fiyero. I’ll see her later tonight, hopefully, and I’ll ask her then. I’ll keep you updated.“

Fiyero grinned at her. „I have to go study now, will you be okay without me?“

„Yeah, don’t worry. I have a class soon so I’ll be busy anyway.“

Fiyero got up and made his way over to the door of the apartment. He looked over his shoulder and flashed Glinda a smile. „Call me if you need anything,“ he said before heading out the door.

Glinda took a shaky breath. She was going to ask Elphaba out tonight. She picked up her phone from the table and grinned upon seeing two new messages from Elphaba, immediately easing her anxiety.

She opened the messages, already typing out a reply.

* * *

„Thank Oz you’re here, my phone was about to die,“ Glinda told Elphaba as she walked into the shop. Glinda and Elphaba had been texting all day and it had really drained the battery of Glinda’s phone. Fortunately, Elphaba had arrived just in time so they didn’t have to stop talking for even a few minutes.

„Well God forbid we stop talking for _one_ minute,“ Elphaba laughed, to which Glinda rolled her eyes affectionately. Elphaba stepped behind the counter and gave Glinda a grin.

„You’re not supposed to be back here,“ Glinda pointed out, returning the smile.

„I can break a few rules.“ Elphaba slowly moved closer to Glinda, almost as if she was being drawn in by Glinda.

„You? Breaking rules?“ Again they took a few steps closer.

„I’ll risk it for you.“ They stared at each other boldly for a second, daring the other to move closer and close the gap. The sudden tension seemed to be suffocating Glinda and she took a deep breath, moving away nervously. _Not right the right place_ , she thought, anxiety bubbling up in her.

When her eyes met Elphaba’s again, she saw a flash of hurt confusion for a second before her eyes softened again.

For a while they just talked, occasionally exchanging soft and affectionate looks.

Suddenly the door opened and both Glinda and Elphaba’s heads snapped to the door to see who had interrupted them. A second later Glinda recognised the person as her co-worker, wearing a tired expression. „Oh hey Glinda,“ he murmured tiredly, but when he caught sight of Glinda and Elphaba standing so close behind the counter he raised his eyebrows, eyeing them with mild curiousity.

Glinda felt heat rush to her face and without looking she could tell Elphaba was equally embarrassed. „Uh, hey!“ she said, shuffling her feet uncomfortably. She turned to Elphaba and smiled. „You forgot to order,“ she pointed out.

„Well I guess we _do_ have to talk every minute,“ Elphaba said and nudged her a little. Once again they stared at each other, feeling the heat envelope them both. Glinda felt herself leaning in again and glanced down at her lips. Was Elphaba leaning in too?

„Hey you guys can go home now, you know that right?“ The voice of Glinda’s co-worker interrupted them, making them jump apart as if something had burned them.

Glinda fought to control her breathing. So close, _again_. „Y—Yeah, right,“ Glinda said and nodded slowly.

Together they left the shop, bidding farewell to Glinda’s co-worker. _But what now_? Glinda wondered. Would they go back to the park? Or somewhere else?

Before she could say anything, Elphaba decided for her: „Uh, I really wish we could hang out now,“ she began, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. „But I have an early class tomorrow and Boq made me promise I wouldn’t be awake all night again.“

Elphaba looked genuinely sad over having to leave now and Glinda was overcome with affection for her. She smiled at her and nudged her softly. „That’s okay. Boq’s right, you know. Maybe eventually we should actually hang out sometime _before_ 12 am.“

„Oz yes, that would probably be better,“ Elphaba said. „Maybe Boq would stop nagging me about sleeping then.“

“Speaking of sleep,” Glinda started, a smile on her face, „did you delete your alarm?“

A flash of guilt appeared on Elphaba’s face. „Uh...“

„Elphie!“ She pouted slightly. „Promise you’ll delete it.“ When Elphaba said nothing, Glinda added: „For me?“

Elphaba groaned dramatically. „ _Fine_.“

Glinda smiled smugly, evidently satisfied. Just like last night, she rose up on her toes and kissed Elphaba quickly on her cheek. When she pulled back, she was met with a dark green blush and she was sure her face had turned embarrassingly red as well.

„Goodnight, Elphie,“ she said, her voice soft.

Elphaba, with a dazed expression, murmured a quiet „goodnight,“ before she and Glinda parted.

Glinda looked over her shoulder, watching Elphaba disappear in the darkness of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter feels like more of a filler to me but it was cute so hey it's f i n e, i hope y'all liked it! :)


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